Safety-envelop.



M. E. CALDWELL.

SAFETY ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, ma.

7 ..1,'O63,506. Patented June 3,1913.

llfilmmmlmmll WITNESSES INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH (JO-,WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNfTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MIRA E. CALDWELL, OF EAST LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY-ENVELOP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MIRA E. CALDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Envelops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a safety envelop, designed to make it impossible to surreptitiously open the same.

It relates to that class of safety envelops in which a tongue formed on one of the flaps is extended through one or more slits in the other flaps and is then sealed. An example of this type of envelop is shown in my prior Patent No. 1,039,252, dated September 24:, 1912.

My improvement consists in the special construction and arrangement of the locking tongue in combination with the other features of the envelop, whereby the blank forming the envelop may be easily out by dies, the conventional form of envelop preserved, great security is obtained and gumming dispensed with, if desired.

The invention will first be fully described in connection with the drawing and then be pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is an inside View of the blank with the end flap bearing the locking tongue folded inwardly. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the other end flap folded over the first named end flap and locked by the tongue. Fig. 3 is a view with the bottom flap folded over the two end flaps and also locked by the tongue. Fig. 4 is a back view of the envelop completely sealed.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the views.

The envelop is of the conventional form, '17. 6., of rectangular shape with its greatest length horizontal. The blank for the same comprises the body part A, the two end flaps B and C and the top and bottom flaps E and D. The end flaps are made somewhat longer than usual and comparatively wide at their inner free ends, so as to make a considerable extent of lapped port-ion. In one of these end flaps B there is cut a tongue I) having an enlarged head a. This tongue lies wholly within the outer margins of the end flap and occupies a transverse position thereon near its inner free end and within the area of the lapped portions of the end flaps, as seen in Fig. 2, and extending nearly Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 9, 1913.

Patented June 3, 1913.

Serial No. 740,983.

seen in Fig. 1,, so as to come well down near the bottom or connected end of the tongue Whenever this flap 0 is'folded over and the tongue is protruded through its slit 0,, as

i seen in Fig. 2. The other flaps, E. and D, at

the top and bottom, respectively, also have slits e and d which are arranged longitudinally near the apexes of the flaps, but are so spaced that when folded they do not come into coincidence, but are spaced apart, as seen in Fig. 4:. In securing the bottom flap D it is folded upwardly and the tongue a, b is protruded through the slit cl, as seen in Fig. 8. Then to secure the upper flap E the tongue a, Z) is folded backwardly, the flap E folded down, and the tongue passed over the outside of the angular apex of the flap and the head of the tongue entered through the slit 6 of the upper flap and is made to lie underneath the upper flap, as seen in Fig. 4. In, this relation the envelop is sealed by the gummed edges, or by sealing wax if desired, leaving a portion 7) of the tongue exposed between the two spaced apart slits (Z and c with the tongue holding down and securing the angular apex of the final sealing flap E.

By stamping the tongue a, b wholly within the marginal edges of the end flap, several advantages are obtained. Thus there is sealing surface for the adhesion of gum from flap C all around the opening Z); and yet the tongue, being entirely within the margin, is not so liable to be torn off in handling the blanks, and, furthermore, the margin of the entire blank is substantially the same as that of the ordinary envelop.

lVhen the envelop is to be secured by gummed edges the gum is applied as shown by the shaded portions 1, 2, 3, l, 5, 6, but it is obvious that with this form of envelop the flaps are all mechanically and positively locked together by the tongue and a sealing by sealing wax applied to the tongue at the slit 6 will make an effective sealing without the expense of gumming the envelops. I claim: 1. A safety envelop, comprising a body lower side flap, the end flaps be n made of a length to lap over each other and one of the end flaps having a transverse tongue out from the material in the overlapped end portion of the same wholly within its marginal edges and the other end flap having a slit near its lower edge adapt-ed to receive the tongue when overlaid upon the same and the top and bottom side flaps having longitudinal slits near their free ends out of coincidence with each other when folded and adapted to receive also the tongue to lock all four flaps together by the one tongue of the end flap.

2. A safety envelop, comprising a body portion with two end flaps and an upper and lower side flap, the end flaps being made of a length to lap over each other and one of the end flaps having a transverse tongue out from the material in the overlapped end portion of the same wholly Within its marginal edges and the other end flap having a slit near its lower edge adapted to receive the tongue when overlaid upon the same and the top and bottom side flaps having longi tudinal slits near their free ends adapted to receive also the tongue to lock all four flaps it together by the one tongue of the end flap, the slits of the top and bottom flaps being spaced away from each other and out of coincidence to expose a portion of the tongue on the back of the envelop, the top and bottom flaps being gummed on each side of their slits and the end flaps being gummed, the one on the inner face of the tongue and the other on the inner face of its marginal edges. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MIRA E. CALDWELL. Witnesses:

RALPH J Foss, GEORGE H. NEWHALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

